From the moment she entered high school, Cecilia “CeCe” Cody had a goal in mind: become valedictorian. Years later, that goal became reality when the Destrehan High School graduate crossed the graduation stage as valedictorian, Student of the Year and one of the school’s most accomplished students.
Cody earned a 35 ACT score, a perfect PSAT score and recognition as a National Merit Semifinalist while balancing a demanding schedule of AP courses and extracurricular activities. She was president of the Hispanic Honor Society, danced on the Desty Darlings dance team and launched her own creative business, CeCe Sketched It.
Cody said becoming valedictorian required discipline, careful scheduling and long hours of studying. During her freshman and sophomore years, she followed a strict routine centered around schoolwork and dance practice.
“I would come home, do my homework and go to bed,” she said.
By senior year, however, Cody realized that constantly working without breaks was not sustainable. She said spending time with friends and taking what they jokingly called “side quests” — quick outings for things like Crumbl Cookies after school — helped her stay motivated and better manage her workload.
“It’s really important to kind of take that time to slow down,” Cody said.
Cody said her family also encouraged each other to celebrate their accomplishments. Each year, Cody and her family create goal sheets filled with personal, academic and extracurricular goals, then hang them on the refrigerator as a daily reminder of what they hoped to accomplish. Checking off a goal became a celebration in the Cody household.
“It’s important to keep your personal goals in mind and it’s also really important to celebrate them,” Cody said. “You can’t just make goal after goal after goal after goal. Constant improvement is great, but at some point, you’re going to have a setback.”
Cody experienced a setback this year when she was not accepted into her dream college. But she remembered what her dad taught her: after a setback, ask yourself, “What’s next?”
“That got me thinking that I have to accept it and it doesn’t make me any less of a person either,” she said.
This fall, Cody will attend the University of Notre Dame, where she plans to major in neuroscience, minor in Spanish and pursue pre-medicine studies with the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon specializing in oncology.
“I’ve always wanted to help people,” Cody said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the brain.”
Her interest in neuroscience deepened after taking AP Psychology and studying the brain during the course’s neuroscience unit. Cody said she became fascinated by the complexity of the brain and the challenge of solving medical problems that are different for every patient.
“I want to be able to remove people’s brain tumors and tell someone that they are cancer free,” she said
When Cody learned she was accepted into Notre Dame, she was at dance practice. The team surrounded her as she logged in to learn her fate.
“I was jumping up and down, and my friends came and grabbed me and they dogpiled me,” Cody said. “It was such a fun moment. It just really shows that bond that we have. Everyone is truly there for everyone on the team. I was so happy that I got in, and everyone else was so happy for me.”
Another moment Cody will remember forever is winning nationals with the Desty Darlings.
“Sitting on that mat surrounded by my closest friends and hearing our name get called as national champions and seeing our coaches just run up to us was the happiest moment of my senior year,” she said.
Outside of academics and dance, Cody also found a creative outlet through entrepreneurship. Last year, she launched CeCe Sketched It!, a custom banner business that began after a friend asked her to recreate a design for a Friendsgiving party. She also donates a birthday banner to a local nursing home each month.
“It’s really just a nice way for me to continue to exercise my creativity,” she said. “And I love going to paint a banner when I have to unwind after a long day.”
As Cody prepares to leave Louisiana for college, she said DHS helped prepare her for the future through its curriculum, teachers and opportunities for involvement both inside and outside the classroom.
“I feel like because of the curriculum here, I feel prepared to go to college. I’m not scared in any sense,” Cody said. “It’s just offered me some truly incredible opportunities.”
